Composite overnight and brief case



July 22, 1941. s. H. LIFTON COMPOSITE OVERNIGHT AND BRIEF CASE Filed March 21, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 I I I HHIHHH 1 ATTORNEY July 22, 1941. s. H. LIFTON COMPOSITE OVERNIGHT AND BRIEF CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fllllll ATTORNEY Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES \PATENT OFFICE COMPOSITE OVERNIGHT AND BRIEF CASE Samuel H. Litton, New York, N. Y.

Application March 21, 1941, Serial No. 384,466

2 Claims.

The invention is a composite overnight and brief case and the objects, advantages, and functional and structural features thereof will be apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of my composite overnight and brief case according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 but showing the case open and illustrating the multiple and swingable spreaders held in an ineffective relation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustratin one of the spreaders swung down.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, however illustrating the multiple spreaders raised in a collapsed relation of the case.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the case showing the latter open and fully expanded by reason of swingable spreaders now resting on the bottom wall of the case.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one inside corner of the case when open, particularly illustrating the upper swingable bellows closure fiap of the brief case portion of the composite case.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal broken sectional view on a smaller scale on the line 'l1 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal transverse sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. l.

The composite overnight and brief case generally denoted I is characterized by front and rear panels II and I2 each of a relatively heavy and durable leather. These panels are interconnected preferably by an intervening contractible and expandible flexible leather gusset or bellows l3 comprising the foldable bottom wall l4 and the side walls l5, the latter being secured to the side margins of the front and rear panels by lines of stitching l6, and to thelower horizontal margins of the panels by the stitching H.

For strengthening purposes the vertical and lower horizontal margins of the panels are provided with metal reinforcing bars l8 appropriately retained in place by strips of leather is secured to the inside faces of the lower margins of the panels by the stitches I1 and 20 (Fig. and to the vertical margins of the panels by the stitches l6 and 2| (Fig. '7), the upper portion of strip l9 adjacent the panel l2 however is pasted to the inside face of the latter.

Fixedly attached to the upper margins of the panels and the gusset I3 is the metal collapsible frame 22 (Fig. 2) defined by the leather covered inner and outer yokes or U shaped balls 23 and 24 having their inner ends 25 and 26 pivotally associated by reason of the inner ends 25 being rotatably retained on the shanks 21 of rivet pins 28 fixedly carried by the inner ends 26 of the arms of the outer yoke 24, the arrangement being such that when the frame is collapsed or folded, the outer yoke 24 closely receives the inner yoke 23 (Fig. 1), thus permitting the top part of the case to be readily closed although it should be appreciated that the upper intermediate portions 29 of the gusset are free of the collapsible frame (Figs. 2 and 3).

Extending longitudinally of the inner general compartment defined by the side walls of the gusset and the spaced panels are the spaced partitions 30 and 3|. The sides 32 (Fig. 8) and lower margins 33 (Fig. 5) of these partitions are secured by stitching 34 and 35 to be within the vertical grooved and ribbed spaced portions 36 (Fig. 8) in the collapsible sides l5 of the gusset l8 and in the grooved and spaced and longitudinally arranged ribbed portions 31 (Fig. 5) in the bottom wall H of the gusset. It follows therefore that the fixed partitions divide the large inner compartment into three distinct and separate chambers or sub compartments 38, 39, and 40.

Normally in the closed relation of the case, the three chambers or pockets referred to are contracted as shown in Fig. 4 although with the present invention chambers 38 and 38 may be appreciably extended. In this connection multiple spreaders 4| and 42 are employed. Each of these spreaders characterize a relatively stiff body 43 covered by a flexible casing 44. One of these spreaders for example, 4| has its ends 45 and 46 (Fig. 5) swingably secured to the front panel l2 by the stitchings I1 and 20 while the other spreader 42 has its ends 45 and 46 swingably secured to the beaded portion 31 by the stitching 35.

The swingable spreaders are substantially coextensive with the length of the inner compartment formed by the gusset and the panels and are normally held vertically by the inwardly bulging portions 41 (Fig. 1) of the sides l5 of the gusset l3 and by the bulging portions 48 likewise of the sides of the gusset.

Where however it is desired to extend the capacity of the chambers 38 and 39, the spreaders are swung downwardly to die at least in part against the expandible bottom wall I4 of the gusset (Fig. 4). It follows therefore that chambers 38 and 39 can be conveniently adjusted to take care of greater loads as desired, the chamber- 38 serving as a brief case compartment suitable to contain legal files and papers while the chamber 39 characterizes a compartment to contain clothing or the like utilized in connection with overnight travel while chamber 40 constitutes an auxiliary compartment suitable for storing miscellaneous articles.

For conveniently opening and closing of the brief case compartment of the composite case an inclined and pivoted flap 50 is provided. This flap is coextensive with the length of the brief case compartment and has its upper end secured to panel [2 and to the leather covering 52 of the outer yoke 24 by the line of stitching 53 (Figs. 4 and 5).

The side or end margins 54 (Figs. 6 and 7) of the bellows closure flap or swinging closure lid 50 however are glued and secured by the stitching IE to the rear panel l2 and to permit expansion of closure lid 50 it is formed with a plurality of folds characterizing at each end hollow curved and diverging but inwardly and outwardly pro- Jecting folds 55 and 56, sloping downwardly and inwardly to constitute bellows means to allow expansion of the closure lid 50 which is of sensibly resilient leather and thus normally is held contracted as shown in Fig. 7, the bellows lid or flap 50 being substantially trapezoidal while the end margins 54 are tapered as shown.

A strip of fabric or carrier 51 (Fig. 6) attached to the lower margin of the swingable closure lid 50 by the line of stitching 58 carries a row of hooks or line of stringers 59. Detachably interlocking with the row of hooks 59 is a row of hooks or stringer 60 and a suitable runner 6| is utilized to open or close the hooks of the companion stringers as is well known in the art as this locking arrangement characterizes a conventional slide fastener. However the row of hooks 60 iscarried by a strip of fabric or carrier 62 fastened to the upper end of partition 3| by the line of stitching 63 (Fig. 5). It is therefore apparent that if the runner 6| is moved toward the left (Fig. 6) the rows of hooks are disengaged and thus access may be had to the brief case compartment 38 which as heretofore described may be readily expanded by the action of the swingable spreader 4| (Fig. 5), thus swinging the lower end of the expandible flap 50 upwardly in which instant the biased beads 55 and 56 likewis expand and such expansion is retained on closing of the slide fastener.

By the present arrangement the closure flap 50 although secured to the upper part of the rear panel and appreciably above the elevation of the support or partition 3|, does in fact constitute compensatory means in association with the slide fastener fabric supports 51 and 62 for bridging or closing on a bias the upper part of the brief case compartment which may be appreciably enlarged over its normal capacity.

Associated with the outside yoke 24 is the swingable handle 65 and the swingable strip 66 secured to the outer panel is provided at its free end with keeper 61 adapted to be locked by suitable mechanism (not shown) in the lock casing 68 mounted on the front panel ll thus after the frame is folded to telescope yokes 23 and 24, the

I latter are prevented fom acvidental opening.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein.

I claim:

1. In an article carrying case, spaced front and rear panels, an expandible and contractible gusset having spaced transversely arranged sides connected by a bottom portion and intervening said panels and secured thereto and defining an elongated inner compartment, a partition secured to said gusset and spaced from said rear panel and defining with the latter a divisional compartment, a liftable bellows flap suspended from said rear panel above the elevation of said partition and comprising an irtrmediately arranged substantially trapezoidal shaped portion and having substantially tapered marginal end portions secured to said rear panel at spaced marginal ends of the latter, spaced and downwardly converging folds integral with said marginal end portions and said trapezoidal shaped portion and overlapping said marginal end portions on a bias in respect to said spaced sides and originating at the upper portions of said marginal end portions substantially adjacent said spaced sides, carrier means secured to the lower end of said trapezoidal shaped portion and to the upper end of said partition, and slide fastener means connected to the free opposed edges of said carrier means to open or close the latter to render said divisional compartment accessible or inaccessible.

2. In an article carrying case, spaced front and rear panels, an expandible and contractible gusset having spaced sides connected by a bottom portion and intervening said panels and secured thereto and defining an elongated inner compartment, a partition secured to and disposed longitudinally of said gusset and spaced from said rear panel and defining with the latter a divisional compartment, a liftable bellows flap suspended from said rear panel above the elevation of said partition and comprising an intermediately arranged substantially trapezoidal shaped portion and having substantially tapered marginal end portions secured to said rear panel at spaced marginal ends of the latter, spaced downwardly converging expandible and contractible folds originating substantially at the spaced upper corner portions of said flap adjacent said sides and integral with said marginal end portions and said trapezoidal shaped portion and overlapping said marginal end portions on a bias in respect to said spaced sides, carrier means secured to the lower end of said trapezoidal shaped portion and to the upper end of said partition, and slide fastener means connected to the free opposed edges of said carrier means to open or close the latter to render said divisional compartment accessible or inaccessible.

SAMUEL H. LIFTON. 

